Opposition parties dismiss Biti grand coalition claims

Tendai Biti’s breakaway movement has claimed that it is on the verge of signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with other political parties to form a grand coalition, but other formations have dismissed the claim as a lie.

Biti is heading an MDC splinter group recently broke up with Morgan Tsvangirai, who it mainly accuses of leadership failure, constitutional violations and violence.

“(Opposition) parties are now close to signing an MOU. Discussions are at an advanced stage and we are agreed that there is need for a grand coalition that would present a renewed focus to fight for democracy, economic development and progress,” Jacob Mafume, the MDC splinter spokesperson told The Zimbabwean.

Mafume said they preferred a “hybrid or rainbow model” in which the various political parties would complement each other by bringing together their expertise and efforts to achieve democratic change, rather than forming a single party.

“We are not seeking to share power; rather, from each according to its capacity. We are therefore looking at how best to establish structures that relate to this model,” added Mafume.

He named Zapu, led by Dumiso Dabengwa, Welshman Ncube’s MDC formation that split from Tsvangirai in 2005, Lovemore Madhuku’s National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) led by Simba Makoni and MDC-99 that was headed by Job Sikhala before he rejoined Tsvangirai as the main parties that had agreed to the coalition.

However, MKD and Zapu dismissed Mafume’s claims, describing them as premature.

Evans Sagomba, the MKD national spokesperson, said Biti’s movement was rushing matters.

“Biti’s team is just being political and reckless. Yes, meetings have taken place, but we have not come to a stage where we can talk about technical things like signing an MOU. This is just what the team wants people to believe.

“As MKD we have agreed in principle on the need for a coalition but some fundamentals need to be addressed before that can happen. As it were, the Biti renewal team is a political party without a name and we need to know who they really are,” said Sagomba.

He urged the renewal group to first solve its wrangles with the MDC faction led by Tsvangirai, who MKD prefers to be part of the coalition.

He pointed out that Biti’s team recently announced that a stakeholders’ conference would be held in Gweru, the Midlands capital, last May without the blessing of prospective partners.

“The Biti team is probably rushing to make announcements so as to get an upper negotiating hand and be seen as the leader in the coalition-making process. When the time comes, a collective press conference will be held,” said Sagomba.

Mjobisa Noko, the Zapu secretary for information and publicity, said his party had not adopted a position regarding the coalition.

“We have been consulted, but we haven’t come up with a definitive position on the matter of a grand coalition. Our National People’s Council is the decision-making body in between congresses and it has not deliberated on the issue,” he told The Zimbabwean.

My resistance to comment on what I consider as non issues has faltered. I may as well comment, not for the benefit of these parties, because I have no confidence in politicians, but for the benefit of all of us,ordinary Zimbabweans, who have suffered at the hands of these politicians. I know everyone can form political opinion and affiliate himself or herself with political groups, and there is nothing wrong with that if only we keep it civil and choice and formation of political opinion is predicated on the understanding that we are all different from each other, and each one of us is his or her own person, and we come from different backgrounds and politics should be exchange of ideas not fists. No matter the mantra we should never allow ourselves to be manipulated by these politicians’ smooth talk or conviction and allusions to well meaning intentions. Politicians are carnivorous beasts,they will turn on us as soon as we put them in office. This is common world over. Our job is to make sure they remain grounded and answerable to us, the electorate, not the other way round. We should never be used by these people to do their dirty work and fight each other for their own personal benefits and ego. Don’t let them fool you again. Choose and pick them so that they work for you and fire them when they don’t. Don’t have a dogmatic affiliation to any one of them. They are not worth it.

MDC renewal said the parties to the grand coalition were going to meet in Gweru in May. We are now in June; the meeting did not take place. Now they claim the parties are about to sign MOU; a prelude to the formation of the grand coalition. All the other parties have denied there were no such MOU!

What is really disappointing whilst the MDC renewal team and all these other potential partners in the grand coalition are talking endless about talks the Zimbabwe continues to sink fast. Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies have failed to rig economic recovery and should have admitted their failure by now and allowed the nation to look for a way out of the mess. Instead the tyrant is holding on to power and thus dragging the economy and the nation deeper and deeper into this hell we find ourselves in.

Both MDC and Zanu PF are fiddling whilst Rome burns!

Of course these endless grand coalition talks should not be a surprise to anyone, not really; it is the same inability to distinguish what is important and urgent from the trivial matters and focus and act decisively that resulted in MDC failing to implement even one democratic reform after five years in the GNU. Anyone expecting salvation to come from the grand coalition, if it ever materialised, are hoping against hope!

I’m sure we all know that only the decisions by the government will save Zimbabwe’s economic situation. People who are calling on the opposition to work on the economic problems seem to forget that the opposition is not in power, they have themselves been diverted to link the current situation with opposition activity or non activity. It is ZANU that has the power to change policies through the president’s office, cabinet and parliament. It is pronouncements by ZANU that will either build or destroy further, this crumbling economy.
In this same setting, anyone who believes they have a solution can go out there and see about implementing it rather than crying for those in organized opposition to take action that one is himself not willing to take or has not an idea what it is that one could ever do to turn the national situation outside government.

Pati, you on the ball as usual. Museyamwa, its a well organized opposition that drives the ruling part to make the right decisions.
The problem as we know it is, we are leaderless in ZANU as well as MDC.

Tendai Biti and company have no desire to form any political party but to destroy the main opposition in Zimbabwe not for their benefit but for Zanu Pf. That’s their assignment and anyone following them thinking they are an alternative is just being naive.

God has already raised a leader a real leader Zimbabwe will see him and will recognize him and they will confirm his calling. NBS do not despair
Transform Zimbabwe(TZ) president Jacob Chengedzeni Satiya Ngarivhume is the man whom God has raised. We have just received news that Mr Ngarivhume has been arrested and is detained at Chimanimani police station. He was taken from the hotel room where he has been booked this morning. He was taken by 10 people who include 5 state security agents, 2 cio, 2 military intelligence and 1 pisi.
We urge all those who have connection in the media to publicize this story and put pressure on these guys so that they release him

It is very sad that at this moment the politicians have forgotten about the people and are going full out on a power struggle. If anyone doubted Tendais intentions they are now glowing and there for you to see.He and the others are taking care of bread and Butter issues.THEIR OWN BREAD AND BUTTER. In earlier reports about the situation with Lionel De Neker in Gwanda they are all quiet like blinkered horses only seeing the target in front. Power. Whilst they fight and jostle at thge side we have some crafty people telling Zimbabweans like De Neker that he is not Indigenous so they want his business. These are the people we voted for. Have they not heard of the term Multitask. If any of them want to ever be a proper politician they need to fight for the people even during their own little squabbles.